


In Pursuit of the Past

by RiftDancer



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Aftermath of Violence, Character Development, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Original Character Death(s), Side Story, Story within a Story
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-15
Updated: 2020-10-10
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:20:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25910482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RiftDancer/pseuds/RiftDancer
Summary: Sometimes, ignorance is bliss. Other times, we need to confront the demons hiding in the shadowy corners of our minds.But when it comes down to it, who is to say what is right or wrong? Who is to say that revenge is evil or justice?The only person who can make that choice is you and you alone.
Kudos: 4





	1. A Fated Encounter

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, fellow XIV fans! This is a side-arc of my Final Fantasy XIV character, Naida Lotelle (though she still goes by her biological last name at the time this arc takes place!)! 
> 
> **Just some things I'd like to note here before you read any further:  
>   
>  **1\. One of these chapters is going to have a pretty gorey description, so be on the lookout for the chapter that will have the appropriate warning in these author notes!****
> 
> ****2\. The Echo has granted Naida the ability to absorb people's memories via touch, very similar to Rogue from the X-Men, though she cannot control when it happens.****
> 
> ****and 3. I write the animal-human hybrid races (The Viera, Hrothgar, Miqo'te, and Au'Ra) with heightened senses of smell and hearing as a result of the animal genes they possess!****
> 
> **If you'd like to learn more about Naida as a person, you can visit her[Carrd!](https://naidalotelle.carrd.co)**
> 
> **To view Naida's XIV Instagram, click here:[@naida.ffxiv](https://instagram.com/naida.ffxiv)**
> 
> **Enjoy the story! It's gonna be a heavy one, boys!**

The crisp wintry air of Ishgard wafted into the dimly lit foyer of The Forgotten Knight, giving everyone a chill pat on the back as it passed through.

Naida lifted the pint of mead to her lips, her eyes closing as she savored the test for just a moment before opening them again. It had been a long while since she was able to go out and relax anywhere, let alone have a drink. And gods know that she planned on having quite a few that very evening. Tataru sat across from her, enjoying her own pint and the pleasant atmosphere around them; with the dragon threat neutralized, everybody seemed to be in high spirits. Aymeric and the Scions had worked hard to restore the balance and confront the threat Nidhogg was raising, so everyone deserved some time to celebrate.

After finishing her third round of mead, Naida sets her mug down on the worn table none too gently, letting out a noise of content as she grins to herself. Her Lalafellan friend beams at her warmly.

“You’re quite upbeat, Naida! I don’t think I’ve seen you like this for a while!”

“What can I say? Another problem solved, more people helped, some alcohol in my stomach! What’s not to like?”

The bookkeeper of the Scions chuckles, unable to keep the joy from spreading to her own self any longer.

“It is rather nice to be surrounded by joyous company for a change.”

Naida hums in agreement as Gibrillont comes over, refilling Naida’s mug with mead as he chuckles at her.

“You plan on getting hammered tonight, Miss Solvei?” He asks curiously as he eyes her.

“Don’t you know it!”

“Well, I daresay that our rooms are full for the night with passing travelers. Tataru, do make sure she doesn’t end up getting into any brawls before heading back to Fortemp Manor, will you?”

“Oi! The last time I was in a brawl here, _he_ started it!”

“Naida, the last time you got into a fight here was because a guy jeered at you.” Tataru gently reminds her as the Viera takes another swig of her drink.

“Hey! Give me some credit! He was being a complete ass about it! Just because I dress a certain way doesn’t mean I’m selling my body to some cheap stiff.” Naida huffs, her cheeks beginning to warm from the sheer amount of alcohol in her system.

“Naida, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you wear pants…..or a skirt that didn’t show your thighs to _some_ extent.”

Naida cuts off the Lalafell trying to chide her by wagging a finger at her.

“Nope! I don’t dress this way to impress anybody! It’s for me and me only!”

“I suppose that’s fair. You’re confident in your skin, and that’s all that should matter.”

“Exactly! Now you’re gettin’ it!” Naida says cheerfully, slamming down her once again emptied mug onto the table before reaching upward, stretching her arms and back with a grunt of delight before relaxing once more. When her good eye drifts back to her friend, she’s glancing behind her at someone curiously.

“What’s wrong, Tataru? You’ve got that look on your face.”

The Lalafell’s eyes meet Naida’s as she’s jostled back into reality, humming softly before thinking to herself.

“I could’ve sworn that man sitting in the corner over there was looking at you a few minutes ago,” she muses aloud.

Furrowing her brows at her friend, the Viera slowly turns her head, her right eye scanning the crowd of bar-goers, instantly picking out a cloaked figure at the table furthest to the corner. Though she couldn’t make out much of his face, she easily spotted a pair of wide brown eyes staring at her before immediately looking to the side. She scoffs quietly before turning back to her friend.

“Yeah, he was definitely looking at me. Bastard tried to play it off when I caught him, though,” Naida mumbles, her mood seemingly soured by this mysterious man. Tataru shrugs and takes a sip of her ale.

“I doubt it’s much to worry about, dear. Say, why don’t we head back to the mansion soon? We do still have some business to sort out here in Ishgard before we head to Ala Mihgo,” she suggests quietly.

Naida sighs softly, her eyes fixating on a spot behind her. She knew that she had unfinished tasks here, but tonight was supposed to be about relaxing, not damn business. Would she ever get a rest?

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. You go on ahead, I’ll pay the bill and meet you back at the manor.”

“Are you sure? You paid our tab last time!” 

“Tataru, it’s honestly fine. I’ve got more than enough Gil to last me a good long while. I’d rather we use that than the funds that are _supposed_ to be going to the rebuilding of The Scions.”

Her response immediately shuts the Lala’s lips, recognizing the truth in her statement. With a sigh, she nods in defeat.

“Oh, all right. But next time, our drinks are on me! Got it?”

A soft chuckle escapes Naida’s lips as she nods to her.

“Yes, ma’am! I wouldn’t dare cross you. Now head on back. We’ll meet up back at the mansion.”

As she watches her small friend leave, Naida slowly rises to her feet, crossing the room to the bar counter where Gibrillont stood, smiling at her as he wipes a mug clean.

“Done already for tonight, are we? I seem to recall you having a higher tolerance for alcohol than this.” He jokingly quips.

“Unfortunately, it appears I am not allowed to rest. I have to get back to the manor to wrap up some business with The Scions before we officially take our leave here.”

His eyes soften as he stares at the Viera.

“I see. Well, you know you are always welcome back here in Ishgard. I – I mean, _we_ – will never forget what you’ve done for us.”

A smile graces her lips as she nods at the barkeeper.

“My thanks. I’ll be sure to come visit. Hopefully, work won’t keep me too bu-”

“Apologies for interrupting the conversation, but I have the Gil for the room fee.” A deep voice said from just behind Naida. As she turns her head to look at him, she sees none other than the cloaked man who had been eyeing her from across the tavern earlier that evening. She raises an eyebrows at his rudeness, her eyes sliding back to Gibrillont as he speaks.

“Huh? I thought you’d paid for two nights. You’re leaving early?”

The man simply nods, his hood masking most of the top half of his face.

“Business elsewhere. I must be off. Thank you for your hospitality.” He says hurriedly before turning around. As he rushes past Naida, his ungloved hand brushes against hers, that all-too-familiar jolt of electricity radiating through her body as she stiffens, going into a trance-like state as her mind clouds with the memories of a stranger…

_Fire. Fire everywhere. People screaming. Getting trampled. Buildings burning. Children crying. Gunshots ringing. A man barking orders._

As the fog fades and everything comes into focus, Naida finds herself standing in what seemed to be a platoon of soldiers, standing on a cliff near the quickly burning village. There was something massive burning in the distance, but it was burning too brightly for her to make out what it was.

_“All right, men! The Emperor has received word that there is a woman here who may possess The Echo, and we are to apprehend her. If anybody gets in your way, kill them without hesitation! Am I clear?” The man at the front shouts loudly over the chaos._

_“Yes, Commander Maro!” The soldiers ring out in response._

_“Now, our target is a young woman; brunette hair, odd eyes: purple and orange. She is a species that we have not seen before, but she is said to have ears of a rabbit, so she shouldn’t be that hard to spot. Our orders are to capture her alive. I don’t care what it takes. If you have to burn this place to the ground and slaughter everyone in your sight to apprehend her, you do so without the slightest hesitation. Am I understood?”_

_“Yes, Commander Maro!” Came the response once again._

As the soldiers ran into the bloodbath, Naida watched through the man’s eyes as the soldiers, who she’d identified as Garlean soldiers, ravaged the village in search of this target. Naida never enjoyed when The Echo did this to her, as it disoriented her physical body quite a bit when it happened, but she couldn’t get the description of the target out of her head, and she was vaguely aware of her gut churning at the realization.

This man…

This man was there that night. He was part of the platoon of soldiers dispatched to the last show Cirque du Reverie ever hosted.

Which meant one thing: he was part of the group sent to apprehend _her._

There were mangled and burned corpses littering his path as he ran; among the dead were faces she recognized. Her fellow performers, her friends. Though she never officially was able to confirm the fates of most of those she worked with in the cirque, she naturally assumed the worst since it had been such a devastating attack.

Whoever this man was, he was involved in it.

Anger began to well up inside her. Anger for the all the blood spilled on that night. Anger for the fate that had befallen her sister when she traded places with her when the Empire caught them. Anger at the soldier who whipped her in the face and took the sight from her left eye. 

But most of all, anger at herself for running when she should have stayed and fought.

Though, now, getting an outside perspective of just how much damage had been done to the cirque tent and its surroundings, she wondered if it would have even made a difference if she’d stayed.

More screams echoed through her head as the memory dimmed from her mind. As Naida once again broke the surface of reality, she immediately grabbed onto the counter to steady herself, her breathing labored as she fought to stay conscious.

Gods, she really did hate when The Echo decided to do that.

“Miss Solvei, are you all right?” Came Gibrillont’s worried voice as his fingers steadied her shoulders. The Viera’s head shakes the last of the fog from her mind as it clears, standing straight and looking around desperately for the cloaked man.

“That man. That man that interrupted us, where did he go?” She asks as her breathing steadies.

“I think he was headed toward The Pillars, but I don’t-”

“Thank you, Gibrillont. Here’s the Gil to cover our tab. Until next time,” she says before unceremoniously dropping a hefty coin purse in front of the Elezen and rushing through the doors. The man watched after her and shuddered, having never seen a fire quite like the one he saw in her eyes before. Not the usual fire of determination, but the fire of hatred. Pure, unkempt hatred for whoever that poor sod was.

As Naida rushed out into the chilled air of the night, her memory became clearer and clearer. Whoever this person was, he was a Garlean soldier who served under a man named Commander Maro on the night of The Burning. Though she’d always wondered if she would ever find out who the traitorous bastard was that betrayed her trust from her circus family, never did she think she would actually get a lead on this.

And now that she knew, she had to pursue it. She wanted answers, and this was the start of getting them.

The pavement clicked with every touch of her boots as she sprinted toward The Pillars, her feet making haste to locate the man so she could interrogate him. Her anger radiated with every step the closer she got to her goal. As she got closer, she could smell the cologne the man wore. She managed to track him down toward an alleyway not too far from Fortemp Manor. 

And when she caught sight of him, he dared to run from her.

Manipulating the aether in the air around her, Naida catches up with the man easily, grabbing him by the back of his cloak and whipping around to slam his back against the nearest wall. He hits it with a loud thud and a gasp, his eyes widening in shock at the impact. The Viera’s hand immediately seizes his cloak and tunic at the base of his neck as she presses him against the wall, her anger coming to a boil as she all but snarls at him.

“Tell me what you know about that night!”

Unbeknownst to her, Alphinaud, who had been sent to retrieve Naida from The Forgotten Knight, had heard her yelling and come to investigate, hiding just out of sight behind the corner of the wall and taking in the scene unfolding before him, shocked at her outburst.

“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Came the soldier’s frantic response.

It took all of two seconds for Naida to sweep his legs out from under him and have him sprawled on his back on the ground before her, where her foot finds his chest. She leans on her knee, taking a hold of his lapel once again.

“Don’t lie to me! I saw it! I know you were there, you Garlean bastard!” Naida bellowed, barely able to contain her anger anymore.

He didn’t even have time to answer before she pressed her foot harder into his chest, causing the man to squirm uncomfortably.

“You were a soldier! You were a part of the group sent to attack my people! My friends!”

The snow-haired Elezen watched with hitched breath and horrified eyes. Never had he witnessed his friend so angry, so full of hate and fury. He'd witnessed her anger before, but never to this degree. It was like she was a completely different person in this moment.

“I was a soldier for the Garlean Empire, yes! And I was there the night that that travelling circus was attacked! I – ”

“You and your god’s damned soldiers slaughtered my people!”

The soldier cries out in both shock and pain as she digs her heel into his chest, her eyes ablaze with anger.

“I was just doing what I was told! I was only following orders! I’m not even a soldier anymore!”

“Your Commander! His name was Commander Maro, right? Where is he?!”

“Uh, the last time I heard about him, he was moved to lead a small brigade of soldiers called The Southern Marauders! Th-their main ship was always coasted to the Southeast of Garlemold!”

As Naida’s eye searches the terrified soldier’s for any hint of a lie, she lets out an angry grunt, but releases him from her grasp, leaning toward him threateningly and whispering to him.

“Get out of my sight. I don’t care who you are now. You were a monster that night. And if I ever see you again, you’re gonna suffer.”

The soldier needed nothing more than that to sprint as far as he could away from her. Using a hand on the wall to stabilize herself, Naida tries desperately to collect herself, the resurfacing of this horrible time in her life more than enough to bring her to her knees, though she would not allow it. Not here.

“N-Naida?”

The sound of her friend’s voice instantly causes her back to stiffen and her heart to leap up into her throat. Her breath catches as she slowly turns toward her dear friend, hoping to Hydaelyn that he hadn’t witnessed the entirety of that ugly interrogation.

His expression was more than enough to prove her wrong.


	2. Down Memory Lane

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So, Naida now has the name of the Commander that spearheaded the raid on the circus she traveled with....now what will she do with this information?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, friends! I'm back with chapter two! Sorry it's been a while; I've been busy levelling my alt, Yukino! I hope you enjoy this chapter! Feel free to tell me what you think!
> 
> **If you need to review these notes from Chapter One, here they are:  
>   
>  **1\. One of these chapters is going to have a pretty gorey/trigger-inducing description, so be on the lookout for the chapter that will have the appropriate warning in these author notes!****
> 
> ****2\. The Echo has granted Naida the ability to absorb people's memories via touch, very similar to Rogue from the X-Men, though she cannot control when it happens.****
> 
> ****and 3. I write the animal-human hybrid races (The Viera, Hrothgar, Miqo'te, and Au'Ra) with heightened senses of smell and hearing as a result of the animal genes they possess!****
> 
> **If you'd like to learn more about Naida as a person, you can visit her[Carrd!](https://naidalotelle.carrd.co)**
> 
> **To view Naida's XIV Instagram, click here:[@naida.ffxiv](https://instagram.com/naida.ffxiv)**

Naida prayed silently to the Twelve that Alphinaud wouldn’t follow her to her main chambers, but of course she was wrong.

As soon as the door creaked its way shut, Alphinaud whirls toward her, his voice still a higher pitch than normal as his shock finally settles in.

“Naida, what in Hydaelyn’s name did I just witness? You were so brutal towards him. Never have I seen you like that before, so I figure there must be a good reason for it.” He says, his voice raising a fraction of an inch as he looks at her face.

But her eyes were glued to the wall off to the side. The _last_ thing Naida wanted was to burden everyone with her personal problems. Perhaps if she didn’t answer his questions, he would just leave her be.

“Naida, please. I want to help you, I just need to know what I saw,” he said softly, causing her shoulders to stiffen ever so slightly.

_He wanted to help her? Why? This was her burden to bare, not his…_

Her fingers dig into her elbows as she cradles her arms closer to her. Eventually, she finds her voice, though her eyes still refused to seek her friend’s out among the red walls of her room.

“Alphinaud, please. This isn’t your problem, it’s mine. I can handle-“

“Naida.”

Never had she heard the young boy use such a stern voice. Slowly, her violet eye finds his face, silently urging him to continue since he apparently had no desire to hear the rest of her speech.

“We’re friends, aren’t we?”

Startled by the question, the Viera’s eyes immediately soften as she looks at him.

“Of course we are. You’re like family to me. You and the other Scions. But I don’t think this matter will sit well with you, whatever course of action I decide to take with it…if I even have the time to,” she finishes sadly. Her priorities were first and foremost with the Scions and the business that had yet to be handled in Ishgard. It wasn’t like this journey would take an hour or so, and stepping away now just didn’t seem right. They still needed her. Ishgard still needed her.

“Whatever it is, I can handle it. I’m not the naïve youth I was back when we met, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“Alphinaud, it’s not that I think you can’t handle it, I’m saying that you _shouldn’t_ have to. It’s my problem.”

“But as your friend, your problems are my problems. During your interrogation of the Garlean refugee, you were like a different person, so whatever this man was involved with had to have been of significant importance to you. And if it’s important to you, it’s important to me. I want to help you, but you have to let me,” he says with a small smile.

As Naida moved to speak again, the door burst open and in ran Y’shtola, Tataru, Thancred, and Alisaie.

Gods dammit. If she’d had a hope of keeping this situation under wraps, it was surely gone now.

“Naida, what happened?! We received reports about a certain Viera attacking a man in an alleyway. Would you care to explain yourself?” Y’shtola says, her stern white eyes scanning her figure.

“It wasn’t a mugging, Y’shtola. It was an interrogation. That man was a former Garlean soldier and he has a connection to Naida somehow. I was just in the process of finding out about it myself.” Alphinaud answers in her place, earning a thankful nod from her.

Her stomach churned at the thought of having to spill her horrible memories out on the table for them, but it was clear that this was the only way to get them to understand why she did what she did.

If only that had made it easier.

“An ex-Garlean soldier? In Ishgard? But why? That makes no sense,” Y’shtola mumbled as she tries to make sense of the situation herself. With a heavy sigh, Naida picks her head up and turns toward the Scions. Taking a deep breath to steady herself and unclench her nails from her palms, she leans against the wall, glaring at the floor as she recalled the entire situation.

“That man was watching me at The Forgotten Knight. Tataru can attest to that. After she left and I was paying for our drinks, I stopped to speak with Gibrillont for a moment, and that’s when he came over. His hand brushed mine, and-“ Another sigh. Thankfully, Y’shtola had filled in the missing puzzle piece on her own.

“The Echo. It activated, didn’t it?”

She nods unhappily.

“Yes. And Alphinaud was right, he does have a connection to me. And since none of you know anything about my past, I suppose this would be the time to explain it. I’d suggest having a seat. This may take a while,” she says, the absolute dread inside her threatening to overflow at any moment.

Once everyone was situated on the floor or in a chair, Naida closes her eyes, trying to put the timeline into place.

“When I was younger, my twin sister Yenna and I were performers in a travelling circus. Cirque du Reverie. I’m not sure if any of you have heard of it. She and I were aerial dancers and were trained under our guardian, Arllione Lotelle, an Elezen that found the both of us abandoned on the docks of a small town.”

Briefly stealing a glance at her friends, Alphinaud silently urged her to continue as Y’shtola and Thancred were listening intently. Alisaie watched her carefully, and Tataru’s eyes shone with nothing but affection for her friend.

“After I started hearing an entity whispering to me – which later turned out to be Hydaelyn – , I passed out in the middle of a rehearsal, and I was taken to the chirurgeon that traveled with us, and he deemed that I was all right so long as I didn’t feel any lasting side-effects. Then, a few months later during a performance, the Garlean Empire attacked, having received an anonymous tip that a member of the cirque may possess The Echo. They burned everything to the ground; I only remember bits and pieces of the attack itself. People screaming, bodies everywhere, soot raining from the sky,” she trails off, tensing ever so slightly as the unpleasant memories washed over her.

The mood darkened considerably in the room; Alphinaud stared at her in horror, Y’shtola’s eyes had narrowed as she stared off to the side, Thancred shook his head in disgust, and Alisaie and Tataru looked at one another uncertainly. 

“As I traversed the chaos, I found Yenna. She was protecting some of our friends. When the soldier raised his whip to attack her, I threw myself between them, and caught it with my face. That’s how this happened,” Naida says as she tilts her head toward them, the thin line of the scar that ran through her left eye shimmering when it caught the light.

“I guess the soldiers didn’t know that I was a twin, so he didn’t know which one of us was the one he was supposed to take into custody. I wanted to stay with her, but Yenna told me to run. She said she would meet up with me later, and so I ran. I ran like the fool I was.”

After a few moments of silence, Y’shtola was the first to speak up.

“You were not a fool, Naida. You had no idea what was going to happen,” she tries, hoping to help her friend find some sort of peace.

Naida closes her eyes and shakes her head bitterly.

“You’re right, I didn’t. But it’s my fault that she got captured. And now, I don’t even know if she’s alive. All I have right now is the information that the soldier gave me and what my sister told me before I fled. The Commander that I saw in his memories, Commander Maro, is apparently now leading a group of individuals named the Southern Marauders. The other piece that I know is that it was one of the circus members that turned me over to the Empire. That’s it.”

“The Southern Marauders? As in the elite Garlean soldiers?” 

Naida’s eyes slowly find Thancred, who was looking thoughtful as he spoke.

“You know of them?” The surprise couldn’t keep itself out of her voice as she addressed him.

The Hyur nods.

“Yes. They tend to sail along the coast of Garlemald, though sometimes they wind up in Eorzean territory,” he explains. “Their symbol is a black sword with a raven on the hilt, if memory serves.”

Naida purses her lips at the new information. If Commander Maro were a soldier in an elite troupe of Garlean forces, where were they now? Were they still around? Was he still leading them? Her mind filled with questions and uncertainties.

But most importantly, what was she to do with this information? She was still needed in Ishgard and didn’t see a break in the foreseeable future, since they were to head to Rhalgr’s Reach as soon as the Scions’ duties here were completed here.

“So, what are you going to do, Naida?” Alisaie eventually asks, breaking the silence.

Her head snaps up to the Elezen girl, bewilderment subtly showing in her expression.

“I haven’t exactly figured that part out yet. I don’t really have the time to pursue this lead, as much as I’d like to. I’m needed here in Ishgard until we’re ready to move onto Rhalgr’s Reach. I can’t possibly step away now.”

“I’ll cover your duties until you return.”

The Viera stares at her in shock. Sure, they weren’t really friendly with each other when they’d met, and even now, Naida wouldn’t necessarily give her the title of ‘friend’, but she couldn’t help but admit that this was surprising.

“But….why, Alisaie?”

The teenager offers a simple shrug in response.

“This is clearly important to you. You can deny it all you want, but you’ve been carrying around this weight for years. Wouldn’t it be nice to finally find out who from the circus sold you out to the Empire? Don’t you want them to answer for what they’ve done?”

“Well, yes, but-”

“I will not take no for an answer. I’m offering you an out, Naida. You’d be wise to take it.” Alisaie says to her, the warning in her voice not lost on her.

Naida falls silent, unsure of what to think or say. Would it be right for her to pursue this monster from her past and shirk her duties onto the Scions? What did everyone else think?

As if sensing the very question on her mind, the white-haired Miqo’te shakes her head and smiles up at her friend.

“It is clear that you need this. Go. Find this rat, and then get your closure. Whatever fate befalls him, we will stand with you.”

The dark but all too real question lingered on Naida’s tongue until finally, she asked it.

“Even if I decide that his punishment is death?”

“Whatever fate befalls him, we will stand with you, Naida,” Y’shtola reaffirms.

Thancred smirks at the Miqo before nodding his head.

“I’m in agreement with Y’shtola. Vengeance or forgiveness, it makes no difference in the end. Whatever you decide is necessary. We have a long road ahead of us in Ala Mihgo, so the sooner you can put this behind you, the better.”

Tataru eventually nods herself before speaking.

“Agreed. You need this, Naida. This is so important to you, and I think it would do you good to go and get the answers you seek, whichever form it may take.” She concludes.

A grateful smile forms on the Viera’s lips as she nods to her before turning toward the last remaining Scion, who had been silent for quite some time.

“Alphinaud?” Naida asks, nervousness blooming in her stomach as she studies him.

His eyes find hers slowly, his expression deeply troubling her.

“I can’t say that I find the idea of you killing the man for vengeance desirable, but mayhap that is because I am looking at this from an outside perspective. I was never there, nor could I possibly imagine how you feel right now,” he says, taking a moment to collect himself before continuing.

“I’d like to accompany you on this journey.” He finally states, shocking almost everyone.

Naida quickly shakes her head.

“Not that I don’t appreciate the offer, because I do, but I don’t think this will be something you would want to witness. You’ve seen enough death.”

“So you’ve already decided to kill him, then?” He presses, his gaze piercing through her.

“Well, no, but should it lead to that, it’s not something I think you should see.”

“Why? We have all seen our fair share of death. Why is me being there any different?”

The question surprises her. Though she had a feeling that he already knew the answer, she still needed to say it. She had to squash this fear that was still at the back of her mind.

“Because….I’m afraid. I’m afraid that you’ll see me differently if I decide to kill him…” she finally says, bowing her head in defeat and clenching her eyes shut as she cradles her arms against her once more.

It was silent for a while until finally, the soft thud of footsteps against the carpet could be heard, and as small arms encircled around her, she flinched, her eyes opening once more to stare at her Elezen friend hugging her.

“We will not see you any differently. You are still the Naida that we know and love. The reason why I want to accompany you is because I want to make sure that you are safe. I am full aware that you are more than capable of taking care of yourself, but I want to go because I care. I’m sure the rest of us would want to go as well if we didn’t have other matters to attend to.”

His words shock Naida, an embarrassed blush blooming on her cheeks as she stares at him.

Was that really what they thought?

Unable to think of anything to say, she slowly looks at her other friends, who were all smiling at her, signaling that they were indeed in the same mindset as Alphinaud. 

The sheer concern and love that she’d seen just now was almost enough to overwhelm her. If she hadn’t been so stubborn about not crying in front of people, she may have broken down right there. Instead, she fights down the tears and nods, her arms briefly encircling Alphinaud and patting his back twice as she looks down at him.

“All right. You can come with me if you wish. Under one condition.”

“Name it,” he says, determination burning bright in his eyes.

_“Should I decide to kill him, you must not interfere under any circumstances.”_

Though she instantly saw his determination waiver in his expression, he recovers quickly, nodding as he releases her.

Though she was unsure if he would actually listen to her when it came down to it, she had to admit that deep down, she was grateful that this wasn’t going to be a journey she would have to take alone.

Alphinaud’s voice is first to break the silence this time.

“Right, then! Best to get some rest now, Naida. In the morning, we’ll talk to Cid and see if we can’t find out where the Southern Marauders are located. I’m sure he’ll have some ideas on where we could start.”

Naida nods, sharing the sentiment that Cid would’ve been her first stop on this journey.

The other Scions slowly filed out of the room, offering her luck and hope that she would find the answers she was looking for. 

Alisaie was the last to leave the room, stopping to speak to the Viera one last time.

“Look, I know we aren’t exactly the closest of friends, Naida, and I don’t blame you for being wary of me. Hell, I don’t exactly blame you for being cautious; I didn’t give the best first impression when we met. But by doing this, I hope that you can find it in your heart to forgive me for my transgressions. And….I sincerely hope that you gain some peace from all of this.” She says, picking at a buckle on her sleeve.

Naida takes a moment before smiling down at Alisaie.

“Yeah, we both didn’t seem to really like each other at the start, it seems. I always thought you were cold and unapproachable, but it wasn’t until another friend of mine pointed out to me that I was the exact same way that I thought I was being unfair to you. But just know that I appreciate what you’re doing for me; by taking on my duties here in Ishgard so that I can pursue this lead. Words can’t express…”

“No need. Just go and get the closure you need. We’ll all look forward to your return.” She says, clapping Naida’s shoulder gently before hurrying out of the room. As Naida shuts the door behind her, she leans against it, her eyes finding the ceiling of her chambers as she mutters.

“You hear that, you traitor? Your clock is ticking. This game of hide and seek is coming to an end.” She mutters, her eyes narrowing.


End file.
